Camerapedia:Good practice
Simple recommendations for good editing practice Creating new articles: Avoid duplicate articles Any given subject should be covered in one article: Camerapedia readers will be confused if there are two (or more) articles devoted to the Minolta ZZ-XYZ (imaginary example). If you're thinking of writing a new article, first use the "search" option on the left of the screen to find out whether the camera or other topic is already described elsewhere. Remember that some cameras may have different names in different markets (e.g. one name for the Japanese market, one for north America, and one for the rest of the world). Also try the name with arabic numerals instead of roman numerals ("3" instead of "III"), with or without likely hyphens ("III-a" as well as "IIIa"), etc. If you find that your subject already has a article, edit that article. If you sincerely believe that the existing article is an unsalvagable mess, scrap it and restart it (but use the article's talk page to announce this radical edit). What's likely is that when searching within Camerapedia for information on the Minolta ZZ-XYZ, you'll find a general article about the entire ZZ series that devotes a paragraph or two to the ZZ-XYZ. You now have a choice: Either (i) edit the article about the ZZ series so that it says a lot more about the ZZ-XYZ, or (ii) create a separate article about the ZZ-XYZ. Consider doing the former unless the addition would throw the whole article off balance. Do the latter if you have a lot to say or if there's some other compelling reason. If you do the latter, feel free to reduce the discussion of the ZZ-XYZ that's within the article on the ZZ series, and make sure that you create links to and from the article on the ZZ series. What we don't want is a situation where for a given, clear subject (e.g. a particular camera), there's some information in article A and not in article B, and other information in article B and not in article A — let alone worse messes involving three or more articles. Changing existing pages: Value the work of others Rewrite to correct factual mistakes, to make more readable, etc. If you're sure that a page is poor, salvage as much as possible of its informative content when you do the rewrite. Don't just rewrite for your personal taste: a wiki is a group project. Try to retain the images inserted by others: don't replace any image just because you have one of your own. Consider adding your image as supplementary view rather than as replacement. However, there's no point in duplication, and if you're sure that your image presents all the information in an existing image and more information besides, go ahead and replace. If you have any doubt, start by linking to it and asking about it on the article's talk page. Images in an encyclopedia are part of its information. The images for an enyclopedia about cameras may be documentary, technically perfect or even artistic. Documentary images should not be too bad from the technical or artistic viewpoint. Artistic photographs should be sharp and informative where it matters. If you are thinking of replacing somebody else's photograph with your own, consider your own photograph at least as critically as the photograph by somebody else that you might remove. Category:Editing guidelines